A human hip joint connects a femur (sometimes referred to as a thigh bone) to an acetabulum (sometimes referred to as a hip socket) of the pelvis. Hip joints support the weight of a human body, and are important for retaining balance.
Some types of injury, disease, or degeneration can produce pain and/or restricted motion in a hip joint. One treatment for certain types of damage to a hip joint is surgery. For severe damage, the hip can be surgically replaced.